Teaching your kids to read......

When I teach children to read, I always make sure they find the "just right" book. This can be a book or story from an IPad or other digital source and from a hard copy or paper source. It always helps to have one page of text where a child can read and then find if the book is "just right." I can list so many ways to do this. One way is to have your child read one page. If your child finds more than five difficult words on the page, then it is too difficult. If you find 2 or 3 words that are difficult, then it really is ok to read. Sometimes I find that students still want to read those books. If they are determined they will! Make sure they sound out, and chunk out each word. Tracking using a pencil or your finger is also very important when learning to read. It helps them keep an eye on those difficult words. 

Ask questions about the story. Make connections. Make predictions. Love those books that are so colorful with elaborate illustrations! Picture books can be a dream land for those visual learners because they can make connections to the story by reading the pictures. Always read a picture book with expression. It counts! Your child will fall asleep before bed in a dream when you use appropriate rate, intonation, expression while reading. This is fluency and it builds comprehension. 

Kindergarten: Letter Names and Letter Sounds

I have been coming across Kindergarten students having difficulty with some letter names and letter sounds. When it is time for learning letter sounds, some children find it hard for the sound of the letter to "stick" when given numerous activities and resources for learning the particular letter sound. I have been pondering this "difficulty" for some time now. I utilize "Jolly Phonics", create letters and repeatedly say the sound of the letter. The problem I have realized is memory and auditory processing. These young students try so very hard to remember the letter and sound but they forget it quickly. So, how do you practice the sounds of letters such as /b/, /d/, /p/ without confusion? Today, we made the letter /d/ with wiki stix. They loved it. But will they remember it tomorrow? We are taught to practice, practice, practice! But, what I am realizing is that they need to "hear" the sounds in rhymes, audiobooks, and even with recording themselves saying the sounds of each letter. Tumblebooks is a wonderful sight for books online. We have so many resources at our fingertips that we tend to forget the easiest ones to use to teach these early reading skills. A small container of objects that all begin with the letter /h/ and sorting the objects into each appropriate container is one easy way to teach this concept. 


I read the story, "Alphabet Mystery" today, and as I was asking questions about the pictures and sounds the pictures begin with, they would recognize the sound. So, maybe we need to read more to our students and ask them picture questions and use tactile activities to reinforce these letter/sound skills to gain mastery! I can have students write and trace letters and repeat sounds of letters, but will it work for these students who cannot understand the letter/sound connection? I don't think so. I cannot follow one program or activity. It must be a combination of learning styles. http://bcove.me/31sbk3jv

Digital Storytime Ebooks

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id457053561?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Motivating Teachers

I have always wanted to focus on how to motivate students and keep them learning and wanting to learn. Lately, I have thinking about how can we as teachers stay motivated and how can we keep other teachers motivated to teach. It's an interesting and difficult area to address. For one, positive motivation should come from the principal. But, sometimes teachers of all areas of academics find themselves not motivated. During my Christmas break, I thought about reenergizing and renewing myself. I knew that when I came back to school, I would have many meetings and new students to assess in reading development.

It helps teachers to have a guide or path of motivation techniques to help them throughout the school year. Especially when coming back from a Holiday break or vacation. I hear a lot of " I don't want to be back,"or "The time flew by" and unfortunately, it is not positive. How do we keep the positive motivation teachers need to keep going and create a positive learning environment in the school?

I think principals and other administrative leaders need to keep this in mind. Teachers should be eased into a certain "flow" back into the classroom environment that will create a positive learning environment for each student. How do administrators do this throughout the year? In the summer months?

I found a website called "Motivation for Teachers." I will talk further about this website in my next post.  I find the ideas in this website are wonderful and will help teachers, schools, and leaders lead a more motivating and positive frame of mind for the educational environment.